stave 4

• the phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached
• scrooge bent down upon his knee
• in a deep black garment
• mysterious prescence
• spirit neither spoke nor moved
• you are about to show me shadows of the things that have not happened, but will happen in time before us ... is that so, spirit
• his legs trembled beneath him
• a vauge uncertain horror
• i fear you more than any spectre I have seen. but as I know your purpose is to do me good.
• I am prepared to bear you company
• lead on
• it is precious time to me
• i only know he is dead
• i thought hed never die
• i see. the case of this unhappy man might be my own
• had no more power to withdraw the veil than to dismiss the spectre at his side
• he lay in the dark empty house with not a man a woman or a child to say that he was kind to me
• we may sleep tonight with light hearts caroline
• my little child
• he broke down all at once
• I am heartily sorry for it
• it really seemed as if he had known our tiny tim and felt with us
• spirit of tiny tim thy childish essence was from god
• overrun by grass and weeds
• spirit he cried tight spirit he cried tight clutching at its robe, hear me I am not the man I was I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse
• I will honour christmas in my heart and try to keep it all the year
• I will live in the past, the present and the future
• holding up his hands in a last prayer to have his fate reversed